Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-07-06
4 SWAMP MYSTERY,
How Lot of Confederate Frogs Amused
Themselxea at Eadaral Ernanac

- SNN<tH6 GhUs
How a Lot of Confederate Frogs Amused
Themselves at Federal Expense.
The summer of the year 1859 was par.
ticularly hot on the coast of North Caro-
lima. 1t even did something to counter
act the moro destructive heat OF tho civil
war.
General Burnside had captured long
reach of the seaboard, and had sta olished
his headquarters at Newbern. No battles
followed very soon, nor any storms to
speak of, but the army aud the weather
were fast getting into a high state Of
preparation for either kind Of event.
There were Union troops at Fort Macon
and Morehead City, not many miles up
the coast from Newburn, and much pay
was due them.
The money came down from the North
In July, and a couple of paymasters re-
ceived orders to go at once and deal it out
to the men.
Before the war a railway had been con.
structed from New bern to Morehead City.
Its rails were still there, but all its roll
Ing stock, with the exception of one hand
car, had gone into the interior of the
State. The viaduct was only just wide
enough TO carry tho rails, and much of its
course was through a swamp whose dense
bushes were now luxur;antly reaching
out as if they meant to capture the track
before the end OF the season.
The quartermdster placed his hand car
OF the disposal of the paymaster. He did
so with the pleasant information that on
the previous evening the busy Confeder-
ates had made raid and had swept away
all the pickcts posted along the line of the
railway. New pickets had been posted,
he told them, and their proposed trip
would be reasonably safe.
That is," he said, 81 guess you're safe
from any Confcds, but IL you don't get
through before dark I'd advise you to be
pretty prompt about ans swering any hail.
The boy5'll all be wide awake by this time.
They won't be slow about taking care of
themselves in the dark. Not man of EN-
wants to go to Wilmington just now, nor
TO Andersonville, either"
There were nine mon huddled on that
hard-car whom it went out. A sergeant
and four soldiers were its motive power,
guard and garrison. The writer Of this
story was there altogether as an advent
urer. Two paymasters, with the rank OF
Major, aud one clerk was in charge Of a
black box contalnin 3 ovor $50, 900 in green
backs TO be scattered among the volun-
teers on the morrow.
The air grew moro and moro. close and
sultry, and just before night a sort of q
haze began to rise over the eastern horl
z0n.
"That's it, Major" said the sergeant 10
one Of the paymasters. "Wo're going to
hear from Cape Hatteras"
'Storm comingf'
"Right along. 'Twon't tahe It long to
come"
He was correct as 10 the time required
by Cape Hatteras, or whatever was man
aging that storm The sky rapidly grew
back as ink and darkness came with but
moderate reference to the departing sun.
Just before entering the denser thickets
Of the swamps picket was reached and
the officer in charge repeated the warning
TO tho quartermaster.
',Be ready to answer right away. It'll
be pitch dark, and some OF the boys arc
nervous after last nights work They'll
shoot quick"
This Was sergeant, but 1t was pay
master who replied:
"Well, now, Captain, we didn't say, but
we thought the trip would be safer by
night than by day. The mel have got to
have the money"
In ten minutes moro such a storm had
arrived as was credit to Capo Hatteras
and ths whole sea-coast of North Caro-
lima. On rolled the hand-car, its crouch
ing passengers drenched with rain, that
lightning flashed almost iucessantly, and
the thunder seemed to be rolling around
all oyer the swamp. Except where a
streak OF lightning cleft it, the darkness
was like solid wall, and there was
neither headlight nor lantern provided
for that hand-car.
''Worse storm ! ever saw rem arked
the sergeant, and one Of the brace of men
who were acting as motive power grunted
back at him. 'Its the worse kind of a
storm, but you cau't sec it,"
1t was just correction of the state
ment made by the sergeant, but at that
moment hoerse, deep, all but sepulchral
voice from among tho bushes and black
ness at ;hs right Of the track command
ed:
"Haltln
Stop her! Qlick, boysp' exclaimed
the sergeant, and as tho men changed in
stantly from motive power into brakes,
he sprang from tho Car into water above
his knees, and waded forward TO answer
the hail and give the countersign.
1t was all IN vain Down came a double
oeluge OF rain and thicker darkness. Then
vividness OF blue electricity danced
through the dropping bushes and great
roar OF thunder followed as if IN search of
the hidden "picket" Neither ram, nor
sc HOA lhCndcE1 IOT QueS-
Goning Of tie sergeant discoverel him.
There he was, or must have been, dead
or alive, for he had said s'halt," but that
was apparently all he had to say.
The sergeant splashed his way back to
the hand-car, using very strong language,
and it was decided TO go forward
'We'ro just as likely to be fired into,
first thing" remarked the payInasteSs
clsrk, '-and they'd hit some of US, sure"
Both Of tae paymAstcrs agreed with
hir1, and one expressed his satisfaction
that -ks boz containing the greeDbacks
was waterproof
that's more than lam" said one Of the
soldiers. This 'ere rains got through
my roof; ! can feel it trickle down inside
Of me.o
The hand-car was not propelled rapidly
after that, but the lightning aud thunder
worked harder than ever. Perhaps half
q mile had been gained when another
voice, on the left this time and not so
near, but equally hoarse ami peremptory,
shouted:
.tHaltP'
Other words which seemed to follow
were swallowed up by.a wide-mouthsd
clap OF thuader. and 50 was the sergeant's
nrcurt resD3nse. but IN aa instant he